“New technologies should be used to implement linguistic rights”

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority languages (ECRML), NPLD’s Vice Chair Sabrina Rasom was invited on 18th-19th June 2018 to participate in the panel session “Civil society and the Implementation of the Council of Europe’s Conventions on Minority Rights”.

During her presentation, Rasom threw several proposals to improve the interaction of the principles of the Convention and the ECRML promoted by the Council of Europe and civil society. She highlighted in particular the following points to be considered for a better implementation of the Framework Convention and the ECRML:

the need to improve the reporting system by using new technologies and common standards;

to not only implement actions but also to monitor and evaluate the results of undertaken projects on minority communities;

to invest in communication to explain minority language -and all- citizens about the rights stated in the ECRML;

to face multiculturalism and multilingualism in a positive and constructive way by inserting language rights concepts in schools programmes in Europe.

The Conference “Minorities and Minority Languages in a Changing Europe” gathered experts on linguistic diversity from all over Europe. Organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, it took place on 18th and 19th June. The conclusions of the conference should feed into a reflection process by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on how the respective monitoring mechanisms of the two conventions can be reinforced to effectively respond to challenges affecting both states and national minorities.

More information on the Conference conclusions and the full texts of the presentations can be found here.

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Educational guidelines to bring in linguistic diversity in the classrooms

The publication is an initiative of the Council of Europe, in collaboration with experts from Universidade de Vigo, Université de Fribourg/Universität Freiburg, Wyzsza Szkola Jezyków Obcych in Poznań and NPLD.